Lentil Recipes

So, I hated lentils when I was a kid. But when we went vegetarian, I knew that I needed to open my mind a bit, and try them again.  here are a few awesome recipes that we've found.

Lentil Barley Soup
1 c. lentils
1 c. barley
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (crushed would work too)
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, sliced
2 T Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill weed (or your favorite spice blend)
1 tsp garlic powder
10 c vegetable broth (I usually do just 8 cups broth, and two cups water)
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if soup becomes too thick. Serves 8-10.
To make it into a stew, mix flour and water together and add to the soup until it reaches the thickness you desire. Wonderful served as a "gravy" over mashed potatoes.



 http://www.ordinaryvegetarian.com/2011/01/super-veggie-lentil-taco-meat.html

Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat"
(makes about 3 cups)

1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped (any color)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (any kind) (I left this out, since I didn't have any on hand, it worked just fine.)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
1-1/2 tbsp chili powder 
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf 
dash cayenne 
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp lime juice
Salt to taste

Heat 1/4 cup water in a large skillet. Saute onion for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. If the pan starts to dry up and the contents start sticking, add a tablespoon or two more of water. Add in the lentils, carrots, celery, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, bay leaf, and cayenne, and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture starts drying out, add 1/4 cup water or broth. (I ended up putting in about 1/2 a cup extra water)

Remove from heat and carefully drain off any extra liquid (a little bit of liquid is fine, excessive liquid is not desirable). Remove bay leaf and stir in tomato paste and lime juice. Transfer to food processor or blender and pulse a few times, until a crumbly texture is achieved--do not puree. Serve hot.

Makes six 1/2 cup servings, which could be used to make 12 tacos, 6 burritos, 6 taco salads, or 6 nacho platters.